The French Riviera

The French Riviera is the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France, running from the Var department east to the Italian border. Côte d'Azur is the French name and French Riviera the English one, for the same coast. The term comes from Stéphen Liégeard's book of that title, published in 1887.

What the Riviera is, and is not

It is a geographic and tourist label, not an administrative unit
No official boundary defines it. The broad definition starts at Hyères or Toulon, the narrower one at Saint-Tropez or Cannes
It spans two departments, the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, both within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region
Monaco sits inside the geographic Riviera but is a sovereign state, so it is on the Riviera without being in France
East of Menton the coast continues into Italy as the Riviera dei Fiori, part of the Ligurian Riviera

Western end, the Var

Hyères. The western boundary in the broad definition, with the Îles d'Or offshore
Le Lavandou and Bormes-les-Mimosas. Coastal villages on the Corniche des Maures
Saint-Tropez. A fishing port until the 1950s, then a resort. Ramatuelle and Pampelonne beach adjoin it, and Gassin sits inland
Sainte-Maxime and Port Grimaud. Across the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the second built in the 1960s as a canal village
Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël. At the eastern edge of the Var, with substantial Roman remains at Fréjus
Massif de l'Esterel. Red volcanic rock separating the Var from the Alpes-Maritimes, and the natural break in the coast

Cannes and its hinterland

Cannes. The Croisette, the Palais des Festivals and the Suquet old quarter. The film festival runs in May
Îles de Lérins. Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat, offshore, the second still a working monastery
Mandelieu-la-Napoule. First commune east of the Esterel
Le Cannet. Directly above Cannes
Mougins and Valbonne. Inland, with the Sophia Antipolis technology park nearby
Grasse. The perfume town, in the hills behind the coast

The central bay

Antibes and Juan-les-Pins. Two faces of one commune, with Cap d'Antibes between them and Port Vauban, one of the largest yacht harbours in the Mediterranean
Vallauris and Golfe-Juan. Pottery and a working port
Biot, Villeneuve-Loubet and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Running east along the coast
Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Vence. Perched villages inland, long associated with painters
Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Gourdon. Higher into the hills

Nice and the eastern coast

Nice. Capital of the Alpes-Maritimes and the largest city on the coast, with the Promenade des Anglais, the old town and the airport that serves the whole region. Nice belonged to Savoy until 1860
Villefranche-sur-Mer. On a deep natural harbour east of Nice
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. On and beside the peninsula, among the most expensive residential addresses in France
Èze. A village on a rock 400 metres above the sea, with Èze-sur-Mer below it on the shore
Cap-d'Ail. The last French commune before Monaco

Around Monaco, and the border

Beausoleil. Directly above Monaco, walkable into the Principality in minutes, and ordinary France in every legal respect
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Between Monaco and Menton, and the venue for the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament
Menton. The last French town before Italy, known for citrus and its lemon festival in February
La Turbie. Above the coast, with the Trophy of Augustus raised in 6 BC
Sainte-Agnès and Gorbio. Villages in the hills behind Menton

Menton and Roquebrune belonged to Monaco until 1861, when they were ceded to France. That transfer cost Monaco about 80% of its territory and is covered in the history of Monaco.

The three Corniches

Three roads run between Nice and Menton at different heights, and the choice of road changes the journey entirely.

Basse Corniche. The lowest, following the shoreline through Villefranche, Beaulieu and Cap-d'Ail. Slowest, and the one that passes through each town
Moyenne Corniche. The middle road, passing Èze village. Princess Grace died in an accident on this road in 1982
Grande Corniche. The highest, following the Roman Via Julia Augusta through La Turbie, with the widest views

How the French coast differs from Monaco

Every town listed here is an ordinary French commune with no special status
Full French law, French tax law and European Union law apply
Nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland move in freely, with no permit, no bank deposit and no proof of accommodation
Other nationals need a French long-stay visa and then a residence permit, through the ordinary French system
The French visitor visa asks for income around the French minimum wage, not a six-figure bank deposit
Property purchase carries no nationality restriction anywhere in France

The trade-off

France taxes residents on worldwide income at progressive rates, plus social charges
A flat rate applies to investment income and capital gains
A wealth tax applies to real estate holdings above a threshold
Inheritance tax is charged even in the direct line, and heavily between unrelated parties
Monaco charges none of these, which is what makes a two-kilometre border matter. See Monaco taxes

Property prices

Monaco runs above €50,000 per square metre
Cap-d'Ail and Beausoleil run far below that, while still ranking among the most expensive in France
Nice and Menton run lower again
Roughly 50,000 people commute into Monaco daily from these towns, because the jobs are on one side of the border and the affordable housing is on the other. See cost of living in Monaco

Local rules that do apply in France

Communes in high-demand zones charge a surcharge on second-home council tax, and this coast is covered
Short-term rentals must be registered, and several communes cap the number of nights
The Loi Littoral restricts construction near the shoreline
These are planning and tax rules, not entry rules. Nobody is refused entry to a French commune on grounds of nationality

Getting around the coast

Nice Côte d'Azur is the region's airport, and the busiest in France outside Paris
The coastal railway runs from Marseille through Nice and Monaco to Ventimiglia in Italy, stopping at most towns
The A8 motorway runs inland and parallel, crossing into Italy at Ventimiglia
Train is the practical way to move between the eastern towns, and the only way to avoid summer traffic